Karleen Armstrong is 20 years old and skates for the Rocky Mountain FSC. She trains at the Sun Microsystems Ice Centre in Westminster, Colorado, as well as at the University of Denver. She is coached by Cindy Sullivan and Diana Ronayne. Tom and Catarina Dickson are her choreographers. She competes as a Senior Lady and finished 6th at 2004 Southwestern Regionals in October 2003.

When and how did you begin skating?
I started Basic Skills when I was four years old. It was a really hot summer and my mom thought that skating lessons would be a fun way for me and my brother to cool off. She had no idea what she was getting us in to.

What are your long-term goals in skating and off the ice?
My long-term goals on the ice are one day to be in an international team envelope and to compete in the U.S. Nationals. Off ice, my long-term goals are to graduate from college (I guess that's not too long-term, but I have no idea for my plans after graduation).

What are your goals for the current skating season? (2004-05)
For this current season my goals are to qualify to Midwestern Sectionals again, and skate my best there. I also want to have all of my triples consistent by the start of the next season.

What music are you using this season?
I'm skating to Quincy Jones' "Blues in the Night" for my short program, and for my long program I'm skating to "Cavalleria Rusticana" as adapted by Richard Clayderman.

Please describe your most memorable and embarrassing skating moments.
My most memorable skating moment is when I won 2003 Southwestern Regionals [October 2002]. In my long program, I just skated my heart out and it felt great. My most embarrassing skating moment was probably at Southwesterns 2002 when another skater and I decided to throw decorated paper plates out onto the ice like frisbees for our friends because Ways and Means was out of stuffed animals, but the sweepers didn't see the plates. There were plates all over the ice and the referee had to stop the competition and get people to clean them up while the next competitor was already in her starting position. We were so embarrassed and had to apologize to the referee.

What do you feel are the strongest and weakest aspects of your skating?
The strongest aspects of my skating are my style and music interpretation, and I think the weakest aspect of my skating is transferring my jumps from outside my program to in my program with the music.

What are your favorite jump, spin and connecting move?
I don't really have a favorite jump, but I love jumping because if feels so cool whenever I nail them. My favorite spins are my combo spins, and I really like both of my footwork sequences because Tom and Catarina choreograph really fun and challenging footwork.

Who are your favorite skaters and why?
I really like Ryan Jahnke and Matt Savoie because I really admire their dedication to the sport and they work so hard on every aspect of it. I also like watching Sasha Cohen skate because I think her skating is a step above everyone else's and you can tell she's worked hard to make it that way.

Who has influenced your skating the most and how?
My coach, Cindy, has probably influenced my skating the most because she knows exactly how to push me. Sometimes I think she knows me better than I know myself.

What are some of your off ice hobbies?
Off ice, I like to sew and play the piano. In the winter, I love to ski and snow board and try to get to the mountains as many weekends as I can.

What is your current schooling arrangement?
I'm about to start my Junior year as a full-time student at the University of Denver. My major is Human Communications with an emphasis on Interpersonal Relationships, and my minors are Leadership and Marketing. I live a few blocks off campus, and I'm the secretary of the DU Collegiate Figure Skating Team. My cumulative GPA is a 3.89.

Why do you love skating?
I guess what keeps me attracted to skating is how fun it is and how great it feels when I just let myself skate. I also keep challenging myself to be a better skater and setting new goals for myself, and that always keeps me wanting to skate and try harder to become the skater I know I can be.